No. 97, November 30, 2009

Produced by: River Revival, International Rivers
E-mail: riverrevival@internationalrivers.org
Editors: Elizabeth Brink and Wil Dvorak

Please excuse this vastly overdue Bulletin, which includes lots of information from the summer. We hope to put out another one with some of the great information we have received form partners around the world before the end of the year. Keep those updates coming, and hopefully we can publish more regularly in 2010!

Table of Contents

KOREA

CANADA

US-GENERAL

US-CALIFORNIA

US-NORTHWEST

US-SOUTHWEST

US-MIDWEST

US-SOUTHEAST

US-NORTHEAST


KOREA

Four Rivers Restoration Project is really the Grand Canal, environmental critics say

The Korean Government plans to use 22 trillion Won (19 billion USD) to allegedly secure 1.3 billion tons of water by "resolving water shortages from droughts" with the Four Rivers Restoration Project, however, critics call it the launching of "the Grand Canal" in disguise. The operating expenses of the Four River Restoration Project exceed the operating expenses of the Korean Peninsula Grand Canal Plan that President Lee Myung-bak used as one of his campaign pledges. When projects are compared, there is no difference in the depth of the water aimed for in the construction of the Grand Canal. The government has made little effort to gather opinions regarding the final Four River Restoration Project plan. The Peopleís Action for Canceling the Grand Canal group has issued a statement, saying, "Today is a day of national humiliation because the government has announced the launch of the Grand Canal Project."

(The Hankyoreh, "Four River Restoration Project construction begins in October," Hankyoreh Media Company, english.hani.co.kr, 09 June 2009.)


CANADA

Poaching endangers Tsolum River fisheries restoration

Although fish are beginning to return to British Columbia's Tsolum River, the restoration society is reminding fishers that it is still illegal to catch them. Those who do fish the river are not only risking the progress made so far in restoring stocks but also delaying the date at which the river can re-open for legal fishing. Poachers also risk fines and equipment seizure. Tsolum River Restoration Society coordinator Jack Minard said it is imperative that every one of the fish living in the river survives to spawn a new generation. Each fish can produce 3,500 eggs, the majority of which will not survive to adulthood. "We're trying to rebuild the stocks and every fish you take sets us back about a year. Every time you take a mature one, you set us back probably two years," says Minard. "One fish makes all the difference, and if we've got many poachers taking many fish then we're really getting set back a decade."

(Tetrault, Marcel, "Don't fish in the Tsolum," Comox Valley Echo, canada.com, 09 June 2009.)


US-GENERAL

Update: Tracking the results of salmon habitat restoration

If dollars spent equated to salmon recovered, the Northwestern US should be awash in fish. River restoration projects across the region have proliferated since the first Endangered Species Act listings of salmon and steelhead in the early 1990s. Wild salmon runs have suffered the effects of a century of overfishing, dam-building and the loss of cold, clean water running in rivers. Rather than battle the politically divisive and economically painful root causes of the salmon's decline, local organizations have embraced river restoration as a way of helping fish directly. They've piled wood and rock structures into rivers, dug side channels and planted streamsides. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council last year directed $60.7 million in habitat enhancement projects throughout the Columbia River basin. In the past, monitoring was an afterthought says Tom Karier, one of two Washington representatives to the council. "There was never a systematic, basinwide approach because we are sort of a disaggregated, multi-entity effort," Karier said. "We now realize, after trial and error, that we need to have a more standardized approach." Karier is spearheading an initiative to devise common indicators of success.

(Robinson, Erik, "Tracking the Results of Salmon Habitat Restoration," usnews.com, 13 April 2009.)


US-CALIFORNIA

San Joaquin soon will begin flowing year-round

The San Joaquin River will finally flow year-round as a long-awaited restoration began in October. Officials finally have figured out what to do with a 20-mile stretch of the river that has been choked with brush and unused for decades. This bottleneck will be bypassed for now using a flood-control channel, but the stretch later may be restored as a functioning part of the river at a multimillion-dollar cost yet to be determined. After decades of rancorous debate and legal action, the biggest river restoration in the West will wait no more. An agreement among government officials, environmentalists and farmers ordered officials to fill the river with water starting Oct. 1. California's second-longest river, the San Joaquin, was crippled six decades ago after Friant Dam was built. Chinook salmon runs and a long stretch of the river were sacrificed to irrigate farmland. Environmentalists filed suit 21 years ago to restore the river. The legal action was settled in 2006 with an agreement to begin filling the river with water this year. Fish will be re-introduced in 2013.

(Grossi, Mark, "San Joaquin soon will begin flowing year-round; Filling, restoration of river due to begin in October," The Fresno Bee, 14 June 2009.)

Update: Stimulus funds flow to Northern California rivers

The Klamath and Trinity rivers will get some $8.5 million out of a $260 million federal package to help California deal with water problems during drought. The funds come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, from which the US Interior Department has pledged to invest $1 billion. $4.5 million will go toward ongoing restoration of the Trinity River, including recontouring flood plains, developing side channels, placement of spawning gravel and planting riparian areas. Restoration of the river was ordered in 2001, to restore salmon and steelhead harmed by a dam and diversion to the Sacramento River. Another $4 million will be spent on an engineering analysis to determine the costs - and the risks - of removing four dams on the Klamath. An agreement in principle between the Interior Department, dam owner Pacificorp, and the governors of California and Oregon calls for investigation into the benefits, liabilities, environmental risks and the effects on downstream resources from removing the dams. "From boosting water supplies and improving conservation to improving safety at our dams, these shovel-ready projects will make a real and immediate difference in the lives of farmers, businesses, Native American tribes and communities across California," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement.

(Driscoll, John, "Stimulus funds flow to Nor Cal rivers," The Times-Standard, 22 April 2009.)

Update: New salmon barrier is no substitute for real Delta protections

In an apparent public relations move to divert media attention from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest attacks on Central Valley salmon and Delta fish populations, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) unveiled a non-physical "bubble curtain" barrier to "protect" migrating Chinook salmon on the San Joaquin River in the California Delta. DWR staff took reporters on a tour of the barrier project and enabled them to interview agency participants. The agencyís "bubble curtain" fish barrier project combines acoustics and a strobe-lit sheet of bubbles to create an "underwater wall of light and sound at frequencies" that repel juvenile Chinook salmon, according to a news release from DWR. Representatives of fishing groups were concerned that "techno-fixes" like this one, though they sound interesting, are not substitutes for what salmon and steelhead really need for survival - less water exported out of the California Delta and more water allowed to go down river through the estuary. Fishing groups are also concerned that DWR is using this photo opportunity as a chance to convince the media that it is doing something for salmon while it continues to pursue policies that have killed millions and millions of fish over the years.

(Bacher, Dan, "New Salmon Barrier Is No Substitute for Real Delta Protections," San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, indybay.org, 18 May 2009.)

Gold dredging harmful to fish populations; Karuk tribe files lawsuit against California

The Karuk Tribe has joined fishermen and conservationists in a taxpayer lawsuit against the California Department of Fish and Game claiming tax money is being used illegally to fund suction dredge gold mining in California rivers, exposing fish to harmful mercury. 13 million pounds of mercury were transferred to the waters and soil of the Sierra Nevada and Trinity mountains during Gold Rush days, when mercury was used to collect gold from sluice boxes lining northern Californiaís rivers. Dredging, a virtual vacuuming of river bottoms, disturbs the deposited mercury and re-introduces it into the food chain. "Until major river restoration projects are done weíll have a salmon population crisis in California," Karuk spokesman Craig Tucker concludes. "The suction dredgers are one of many factors contributing to the decline of salmon. If we end suction dredge mining, itís not going to be any kind of a silver bullet solution. But, itís something we can do today to start putting our rivers back together." Now the tribe has brought a taxpayer lawsuit. Joining them in the action are Friends of the North Fork, a conservation group, and California Trout, an organization representing fishermenm and in a collateral move, Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Calif., has introduced SB 670, a bill that would impose a dredging moratorium.

(Baumgart, Don, "Gold on the river Bottom, Indian Country Today, 10 June 2009.)


US-NORTHWEST

Washington to benefit from marine and coastal restoration fund

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has earmarked funds to 50 habitat restoration projects, including six in Washington that will repair damaged wetlands, clean marine habitat, clear debris in Puget Sound and restore fish passages blocked by dams. The funding comes under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was provided $167 million for marine and coastal habitat restoration. "These Recovery Act projects will put Americans to work while restoring our coasts and combating climate change," Locke said in a news release. Commercial and recreational fishing employs 1.5 million people and contributes $111 billion to the nation's economy. Many of these projects are in places with some of the highest unemployment rates, including California, Oregon and Michigan. The projects will employ people such as laborers, nursery workers, design engineers, restoration ecologists, landscape architects, hydrologists and specialized botanists. Nationwide this work is expected to restore more than 8,900 acres of habitat and removed obsolete and unsafe dams that open more than 700 stream miles where fish migrate and spawn. For more details, go to the NOAA Recovery Web site.

(Yuasa, Mark, "Washington to benefit from marine and coastal restoration fund signed by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke," The Seattle Times, seattletimes.nwsource.com, 30 June 2009.)

Update: Federal money to restore the Elwha River

A $54 million chunk of federal stimulus money, announced by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, will speed removal of two aging, salmon-killing dams from the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula. "The money will allow the (National) Park Service to issue the contract solicitation for removal of the dams and restoration of the river," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., whose district includes the Olympic Peninsula. The dam removal will open up 70 miles of the Elwha to salmon spawning. The federal dollars will pay for preparation work on dam removal, flood protection, water quality enhancement and replacement of a tribal fish hatchery. "This acceleration of the Elwha River restoration brings us much closer to the actual dam removal, which will result in significant ecological, cultural and economic benefits," Dicks added. In 1992, Congress authorized taking out the dams. The larger of the structures, the 210-foot-tall Glines Canyon Dam, is within Olympic National Park, but was built before the park was created.

(Connelly, Joel, "Federal bucks to restore the Elwha River," seattlepi.com, 22 April 2009.)


US-SOUTHWEST

Livestock grazing threatens Arizona's Fossil Creek restoration

The Center for Biological Diversity filed an administrative appeal challenging the US Forest Service for its failure to protect endangered wildlife and water quality in the federally designated "wild and scenic" Fossil Creek watershed when it authorized livestock grazing on 42,000 acres. In April, the Coconino National Forest approved introduction of nearly 500 cattle on land where its own environmental analysis states current conditions cannot support them. The appeal states that the grazing plan violates the National Forest Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Endangered Species Act because it will allow cattle to degrade habitat and further damage watershed conditions that the Forest Service deems to be "unsatisfactory" now. One of Arizona's rare perennial streams, "Fossil Creek is a precious ribbon of life in the desert, and one of the most biologically important parts of Arizona," said Jay Lininger, an ecologist with the Center for Biological Diversity in Flagstaff. "Livestock grazing there will undermine expensive public investments in ecosystem restoration and wildlife recovery." The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 220,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

(Lininger, Jay, "Livestock Grazing Threatens Fossil Creek Restoration, Endangered Wildlife," Center for Biological Diversity, biologicaldiversity.org, 17 June 2009.)

Range of projects turn Colorado rivers into world-class water

Thereís a lot more to Yampa River than meets the eye. Beneath the surface is a slew of carefully orchestrated river restoration projects that have turned the river into the world-class waterway it is today. Stepping knee deep into the Yampa from his riverside store, Backdoor Sports owner Peter Van de Carr points upstream at hundreds of well-placed boulders lining the streambed. "Most every rock you see has been placed there intentionally," he says. "These are what create such great fish habitat and recreational opportunities here." The same rocks that create waves for rafters, canoeists, kayakers and inner-tubers create prime trout territory as well. "All these efforts have created a sustainable, year-round trout population that offers something for every type of angler," says Tim Kirkpatrick, co-owner of Steamboat Flyfisher. "Enhancing their habitat has created a reason for them to stay in the area." River improvement projects of this magnitude are nothing new to Northwest Colorado. The economic boost that can be gained by improving fish and recreational habitat has been replicated throughout the region.

(Ventrees, Kent, "River Restoration in Routt County," Steamboat Magazine, Spring-Summer 2009.)


US-MIDWEST

Sabin, Boardman and Brown Bridge dams, Boardman River, MI

Largest river restoration project in Michigan gets approval

An April 2009 decision to remove the upper three dams on the Boardman River set in motion the single largest ecological restoration project in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed, and in all of Michigan. The Boardman River is the second-largest tributary, providing 30 percent of the surface-water flow, to Grand Traverse Bay. Removing the Sabin, Boardman and Brown Bridge dams will restore more than three river miles of native coldwater fisheries habitat. More than 250 acres of wetlands will be restored, as well as nearly 60 acres of upland habitat. The dams were built 88-115 years ago, and have deteriorated to the point of requiring draw-downs of water levels safety reasons. The dams pose a safety hazard to downstream residents and businesses. Traverse City Light and Power abandoned hydropower operations at the dams because the cost of repairs and bringing the dams up to modern environmental standards was too high. Studies by the Boardman River Dams Committee revealed that restoring the river is less expensive than dam repair and the ongoing maintenance of hydropower. Some made the case for hydropower as a renewable energy source. But hydropower is not "green" energy. Dams have serious impacts on fish habitat. Future generations will look back at this decision as a watershed moment, a point when the community rightfully decided to free a river and let it return to its wild and native grandeur.

(Knott, Andy, "Forum: River restoration is a good thing," Record-Eagle, record-eagle.com, 21 April 2009.)

Ohio's Stillwater River restoration

A three-year, $1.5 million project to restore Ohio's Stillwater River was completed in two, according to project manager Joe Zimmerman. "Weíll use the third year to observe the changes and make any adjustments needed," he said. A 2-foot-deep notch was cut in the 150-foot-long low-water dam in 2008, along with bank restoration and rehabilitation of Englewood Lake, which was choking with silt. The remainder of the circa 1936 dam was removed in 2009, and a "stepping structure" was installed upstream of the lower dam to ease the riverís drop as it approached the huge earthen Englewood Dam. Over decades, silt reduced the lake depth to less than 1 foot in places. Upstream for more than a mile, fishing was poor to lousy. The dam was also dangerous for humans. Since 2003, three people drowned in the roiling waters downstream of the dam. The last were Craig and Patricia Wenner on Christmas Day 2006 when they attempted to save their puppy from the swift waters. Craig Wenner had worked for MetroParks for 24 years, including as the original project manager for the restoration.

(Page, Doug, "Stillwater River restoration nears end," Dayton Daily News, 18 June 2009.)

Update: From the ashes of í69, the Cuyahoga River is reborn

The first time Gene Roberts fell into the Cuyahoga River, he worried he might die. It was 1963, and the river was an open sewer for industrial waste. Walking home, he smelled so bad that his friends ran to stay upwind of him. Recently, Roberts returned to the river with his fly-fishing rod. In 20 minutes, he caught six smallmouth bass. "Itís a miracle," said Roberts. "The river has come back to life." This June marked the 40th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, when oil-soaked debris floating on the riverís surface was ignited, most likely by sparks from a passing train. The fire was extinguished in 30 minutes and caused just $50,000 in damage. But it became a galvanizing symbol for the environmental movement, one of a handful of disasters that led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and to the passage of the Clean Water Act. Today, the Cuyahoga is home to more than 60 species of fish, said Jim White, executive director of the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization, a nonprofit group that coordinates cleanup efforts. Beavers, blue herons and bald eagles nest along the riverís banks. Long sections of the Cuyahoga are clean enough that they no longer require aggressive monitoring.

(Maag, Christopher, "From the Ashes of í69, a River Reborn," The New York Times, nytimes.com, 21 June 2009.)


US-SOUTHEAST

Feds give $4 million for Indian River restoration

Revival of the polluted Indian River Lagoon, a key component of Everglades restoration, got a $4-million boost. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration allocated $4,024,969 of economic-stimulus money to Martin County to restore oyster beds in the lagoon, a project considered vital to the ecosystem of the surrounding region. "The revitalization and survival of the Indian River Lagoon is essential for the economy of the Treasure Coast," said Congressman Tom Rooney, who lobbied for the funds. The plan is to spread a patch reef across 200 acres of river bottom and plant mangroves along the waterway. The combination will protect the shoreline and increase water filtration to help regenerate oysters, a source for commercial fishing and recreation.

(Gibson, William, "Feds give $4 million for Indian River restoration," SunSentinel.com, weblogs.sun-sentinel.com, 30 June 2009.)

Dams are thwarting Louisiana marsh restoration, study says

Desperate to halt the erosion of Louisianaís coast, officials are talking about breaking Mississippi River levees south of New Orleans to restore the nourishing flow of muddy water into the stateís marshes. But in a new analysis, scientists at Louisiana State University say inland dams trap so much sediment that the river no longer carries enough to halt marsh loss, especially now that global warming is speeding a rise in sea levels. As a result, the loss of thousands of additional square miles of marshland is "inevitable," the scientists reported in June 2009. Sediment carried by the Mississippi built up the marshes of Louisiana over thousands of years, but today inland dams trap at least half of it, says Dr. Harry H. Roberts, a coastal scientist. He pointed out that there were 8,000 dams in the drainage basin of the Mississippi. Levees have turned the river into "a pipe" south of St. Louis, said Dr. Roberts. Getting sediment into the marshes, he said, "is not happening, at least not very efficiently."

(Dean, Cornelia, "Dams Are Thwarting Louisiana Marsh Restoration, Study Says," The New York Times, nytimes.com, 29 June 2009.)

Louisiana Begins Wetland Repair with Mississippi River Sediment

The first project in state history designed to mine sediments from the Mississippi River and transport them by pipeline to rebuild eroding coastal wetlands was announced today by Governor Bobby Jindal. The $28.3 million project, known as The Mississippi River Sediment Delivery System at Bayou Dupont, will build and restore nearly 500 acres of marsh using sediment from the Mississippi River. Wetlands have been destroyed by hurricanes and saltwater intrusion. Louisiana has about 40 percent of the nation's wetlands and experiences 90 percent of the coastal wetlands loss in the entire lower 48 states. The state is losing 25 to 35 square miles of wetlands each year, nearly a football field every 30 minutes. As these coastal wetlands turn to open water, their ability to impede approaching storms is reduced and the risk of catastrophic loss of life and property from hurricanes is greatly increased, warns Restore or Retreat, a non-profit coastal advocacy group.

(Environment News Service (ENS), "Louisiana Begins Wetland Repair with Mississippi River Sediment," ens-newswire,com, 14 April 2009.)


US-NORTHEAST

Veazie and Great Works dams, Penobscot River, ME

Penobscot River Restoration Project to boost Maine economy, restore fish

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that it will invest $6.1 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help rebuild the sea-run fisheries of Maineís Penobscot River. A grant to the Penobscot River Restoration Trust (the Penobscot Trust) will fund removal of the Great Works Dam, a key barrier to the sea-run fish restoration, as well as scientific monitoring of the Penobscot River Restoration Project. The Penobscot Project is an public-private partnership to restore self-sustaining runs of Atlantic salmon, American shad, river herring, and seven other species while also maintaining hydropower generation on Maineís largest river system. The Trust will purchase three dams, remove the two closest to the sea - Veazie and Great Works - and construct a fish bypass at a third to significantly increase access to nearly 1000 miles of habitat. Great Works, which will be removed with this award, lies above Veazie and is the second dam from the sea. Removal of the Veazie Dam will occur at a later date for fish management reasons. This federal funding reinforces the national significance of this unprecedented partnership between PPL Corporation, the Penobscot Indian Nation, seven conservation groups, and state and federal agencies.

(Williams, Ted, "Penobscot River Restoration Project to Boost Maine Economy, Restore Fish; Penobscot River Restoration Trust Awarded Funds to Remove Fish Passage Barriers," Fly Rod Reel, 30 June 2009.)

Update: Chesapeake Bay to benefit from $100 million wastewater treatment project

A three-year, $100 million effort to cut levels of nutrients coming from Howard County's wastewater treatment plant got under way in May. More than five years in the planning, the project will use waste from a nearby ice cream plant to help produce enough bacteria to sharply reduce the nitrogen being emitted with wastewater from 3,900 pounds a day, to 830 pounds per day in 2012, when the work is completed. Reuse of some treated water will also help by diverting it from the Patuxent River. "Wastewater treatment plant upgrades continue to be the workhorses of bay restoration," said Shari Wilson, Maryland's Secretary of the Environment. The Little Patuxent Wastewater Reclamation Plant project, she said, should reduce nitrogen going into the river by 62 percent and phosphorus by 85 percent. The Savage project is perhaps the largest plant upgrade so far, and state of the art in increasing capacity without increasing the nitrogen load as well.

(Carson, Larry, "Work starts on wastewater treatment project: Bacteria will be used to lower levels of nitrogen," The Baltimore Sun, baltimoresun.com, 17 May 2009.)